How to Build a Portable Solar Phone Charger with Stuff You Have Lying Around the House

Introduction

With our phones being such an essential part of our lives these days, keeping them charged can feel like a constant battle. However, with a few basic materials and some simple steps, you can build your own portable solar phone charger to keep your device powered up wherever you go. In this article, I'll walk you through everything you need to know to build your own solar phone charger using common household items.

Materials Needed

Here are the main items you'll need to gather before starting:

• Small solar panel (5V 1A output recommended)
• Power bank or portable charger with USB input
• USB cable to connect solar panel and power bank
• Craft plywood or cardboard for building case
• Hot glue gun
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Pencil

Many of these supplies like plywood, cardboard, glue guns, scissors, and rulers can be easily found around the house. The key special components to purchase are the solar panel and power bank. I'd recommend getting a compact 5000mAh power bank and a 5V 1A solar panel, which provides enough power output to effectively charge phones and the power bank.

Assemble the Charging Components

To start, you'll need to connect together your solar panel and power bank to enable charging. Here are the simple steps:

1. Take your solar panel USB cable and connect it to the input port of your power bank. This port is usually labeled as "IN" or "Input".

2. That's it! Now your solar panel can directly charge up the power bank when exposed to sunlight.

Build the Portable Case

Next, you need to make a case to mount the solar panel and contain the power bank. Here's how to do it:

1. Lay your solar panel face down on the craft plywood or cardboard. Trace around its outline with a pencil.

2. Cut out this shape from the plywood/cardboard using scissors. This will be the rear panel that holds the solar cells.

3. On another piece of plywood/cardboard, trace and cut out a slightly larger rectangular shape for the front cover panel.

4. Use hot glue to attach the solar panel to the rear cut-out. Glue around the edges for a secure hold.

5. Glue the front panel on top of the rear panel, leaving an open slot at the bottom where the power bank can slide in and out.

6. Allow the glue to fully dry and harden before continuing.

Attach and Protect the Components

Almost done! A few more steps will attach and protect the charger components:

1. Place the power bank into the slot at the bottom of the case. Use hot glue on the edges to hold it securely.

2. Connect your phone's USB charging cable to the power bank's output port. Run the cable through the case's side so it can charge your phone.

3. Optionally, glue a layer of transparent plastic or acrylic over the solar panel as an extra protective and waterproof layer.

4. Let the glue fully harden before use. Then take your solar creation outside to charge up!

And that's it! With these steps, you now have your own portable solar phone charger using only household items. No more battery worries while camping or on other adventures. Just place the charger case in sunlight and let the free solar energy keep your devices powered up.

Tips and Ideas

• For improved charging speed, use a higher wattage solar panel (up to 5 watts).

• Waterproof the case interior with silicone caulk to protect the electronics.

• Add an ON/OFF switch to the power bank for easy control.

• Customize the size and shape of the case to fit your devices.

• Experiment with different materials like wood, plastic boxes, and more.

So don't let a low phone battery slow you down. With these simple steps, you can harness the sun's free energy no matter where you are. Build your own custom portable solar charger today!